Fellowship Announcement

The James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, is hiring a fellow for its Bacon Immigration Law and Policy Program to begin August 2013.  The position is open to recent law graduates with up to three years of practice experience.  3Ls with relevant experience and qualifications will also be considered.  The position is for one year, with the possibility of a second year renewal. 

The Bacon Immigration Law and Policy Program Fellowship is a program at the Rogers College of Law that generates immigration policy research, expands opportunities for students to gain exposure to immigration issues, encourages the interdisciplinary engagement with immigration issues, and provides services to immigrants in Southern Arizona.  The Program serves as an umbrella for all the law school’s immigration-related offerings, including its Immigration Law Clinic, doctrinal courses, internships, and opportunities to undertake supervised research on immigration issues.  The current areas of research focus for the Bacon Program are immigration detention and immigrant workers’ rights. 

The Bacon Fellowship has three major components:

1.  The Fellow has primary responsibility for the Tucson Immigrant Workers’ Project, a component of the Bacon Program that advocates for the rights of low-wage immigrant workers through direct service, public policy research, and community education and outreach. The Project primarily serves immigrant women in an effort to address their particular vulnerability to workplace abuse.  Responsibilities of the Fellow will include:

o   Supervision of law students conducting intakes, providing follow up advocacy, and in some cases, providing legal representation to low-wage workers in labor/employment matters;

o   Continued development of relationships with community partners, including regular outreach presentations throughout the city and region;

o   Development and implementation (with Program Director) of pilot litigation project.

2.  The Fellow assists with the other components of the Immigration Law Clinic:

o Supervision of law students preparing affirmative applications for immigration benefits, such as U visas, and/or possibly removal defense;

o Participation in the classroom component of the Immigration Law Clinic and teaching selected classroom sessions.

3. The Fellow will design and implement an immigration policy research project. In 2013-2014, the Fellow’s topic will likely focus on immigrant workers, in order to build on the research previously conducted on working conditions for low-wage immigrant women workers in Tucson. The Fellow will take a lead role in developing the topic and scope of the project, in consultation with the Program Director and with input from community and national advocacy partners.

Qualifications

·         Proficiency in Spanish (fluency preferred).  NOTE: Please do not apply if you do not speak Spanish.  This is a requirement for the fellowship that cannot be waived. 

·         Experience working with low-wage workers, immigrants, refugees, victims of trauma, and/or incarcerated populations.

·         Familiarity with immigration and/or employment law.

·         Strong communication skills, with particular sensitivity to cultural differences.

·         Experience working in interdisciplinary settings with minimal direct supervision.

·         Willingness to work irregular hours (some nights and weekends).

Salary: $44,000 plus benefits through the University of Arizona

To apply: Please email a cover letter, resume, writing sample, law school transcript, and three references to Nina Rabin, nina.rabin@law.arizona.edu, by no later than April 5, 2013.  Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to send in materials as soon as possible.